How to Care for a Pot Belly Pig's Feet

Highly intelligent and very social, pot belly pigs can make extraordinarily entertaining and lovable pets. They do need space to roam, routine veterinary care, a proper diet, and a certain amount of vigilance to prevent problems with their feet. With some foresight and care, owners can keep foot problems to a minimum.

Things You'll Need

  • Commercial hoof moisturizer
  • Topical antiseptic
  • Nail file or emery board
  • Wood rasp
  • Hoof nippers or scissor-style pruning shears
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Instructions

  1. Care For Your Pot Belly Pig's Feet

    • 1

      Control your pig's weight, no matter how heartrending her pleas for treats. Because she's already carrying a substantial burden on her slender legs and small hooves, your pig needs you to enforce a strict diet. Watch for a dangling belly, swinging jowls, facial fat rolls, and jowls hidden by flab--all signs that your pig is too fat. You should be able to feel, but not see, your pig's ribs.

    • 2

      Provide a granular surface, preferably concrete, for your pig to walk on. This helps keep the hooves worn down. It is possible to avoid having to trim your pig's feet at all if he spends enough time on concrete. If the pig's living area doesn't include concrete, long walks on sidewalks may accomplish the same thing.

    • 3

      Handle your pig's feet often to overcome her instinctive reluctance to having her hooves touched. After giving a soothing belly rub, massage the feet, rubbing between your pet's two toes and progressing to pressing gently on the pads. Pigs have long memories and are slow to forgive rough handling, so never force things.

    • 4

      Repair any splits in your pig's hooves promptly; bacteria entering through wounds in the feet can cause foot rot. Clean the split with a topical antiseptic, then use a nail file to cut a line at the top of the split, forming a "T" shape. This will prevent the split from getting longer.

    • 5

      Rub a good commercial moisturizer over the hooves to keep them healthy. Owners report good results with petroleum jelly and baby oil.

    Trimming Your Pig's Feet

    • 6

      Trim overgrown hooves with your pig lying on his side. Scrape off the flaky dried nail at the bottom of the hoof with the nail file.

    • 7

      Remove a tiny bit of hoof at a time from sides and front using the cutters. Be very careful not to cut too deep or you will cut the quick, which contains nerves and blood vessels. The blood vessels of the quick can be seen in pale-hooved pigs; for dark hooves you must be very conservative in your cuts. Trim until the hoof is even with the pad inside.

    • 8

      File or rasp the hoof to square off the sides and front, leaving no sharp edges. The dewclaws above the hooves should also be trimmed in the same manner.

    • 9

      Call your veterinarian or farrier if your pig is very large or resistant.